Planning Cornwall: Proposal to build 134-bed retirement ‘village’ at former Truro City FC ground

Plans have been submitted to build a retirement ‘village’ on land previously used as Truro City FC’s football ground in the town. Frontier Estates Ltd has applied to Cornwall Council to build a 66-bed care home and 50 apartments for the elderly, with a total of 134 beds, next to the Lidl store on Treyew Road, Truro.

The site currently houses a private car park and a few small buildings left over from the City of Truro’s move to new land being built at Langarth on the outskirts of the city.

The proposed care home is intended to be operated by LNT Care Developments. LNT provides high quality specialist care facilities for providers across the country and aim to build 140 care homes between 2021 and 2026. This equates to around one in three new care homes built in the UK. The proposed retirement apartments are to be managed by McCarthy Stone, which provides high-quality housing and services “to make later life a happy, healthy and rewarding experience”.

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A design statement prepared by Harris Irwin Architects on behalf of the applicant says the proposal will bring a number of benefits to the wider community and future residents, including the need for more care beds in the Truro area, help free up larger family homes, as residents move into purpose built housing and homes will bring a variety of types of homes and accommodation for older residents with a range of care needs.

It adds that local jobs will be created through the construction and operation phases of the development, and new buildings will meet a high standard of sustainability, ensuring more people live in energy-efficient homes.

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The proposed retirement apartments will be located on the southern side of the site, accessed via the existing southern access from Treyew Road. The apartments will be in a three-storey L-shaped building with parking to the east (38 spaces) and communal gardens to the west.

There would be 32 one-bed and 18 two-bed specialist apartments, all designed to meet the needs of the local aging population. Associated landscaping and planting are proposed, including a communal garden for both residents and guests to enjoy.

The proposed care home would be located on the northern side of the site, accessed from Treyew Road via the existing access for the Lidl store. It will also be contained within a three-storey L-shaped building with 25 parking spaces to the north and residential gardens to the south, west and east. It will provide residential care for older residents with advanced needs, including dementia, and will be designed to exceed current Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards, providing a high standard of accommodation.

The building is designed to meet different needs with shared facilities including a hair salon, library, communal dining area on each floor, quiet lounge, bar, garden room, coffee/tea room, cinema room and family room .

All garden areas would be fully landscaped, including a secure garden area that residents have access to as an outdoor leisure space, as well as green areas in the car park. Landscaping includes grassed areas, raised planter boxes to allow resident interaction, wildflower meadows, tree planting and decorative flower beds. There would also be space for outdoor seating, offering options for more private areas and meetings.

Residents would benefit from a personalized care package, determined according to their individual needs. A wide range of care services would be provided by on-site staff 24 hours a day and by visiting medical professionals from local doctors’ offices. Assistance will also be provided for travel to the hospital.

The site has a long planning history but the most recent application was approved in January 2018 for retail and associated uses on this site and the neighboring Lidl site. Although this scheme started with the construction of the Lidl store, which is now open, the rest of the approved retail scheme has not progressed.

As such, Frontier Estates has been in discussions with landowners regarding alternative use of the site to deliver the care home and apartments for the elderly and more recently advanced discussions with operators to ensure security of delivery.

Pre-application discussions took place with Cornwall Council between July and October 2023. A positive response was received, with officers agreeing that the principle of the proposed development is acceptable as the land is brownfield land within the built-up area of ​​Truro. It was recognized that the proposed development would meet a specific need for care and retirement living in the local area, while seeking to meet the wider need for housing in a sustainable location.

For more details see planning application PA24/03640 on Cornwall Council’s planning portal.